Midtown Lunch

You know how sometimes you wander out of the office to grab lunch without a game plan? I call these “random lunches” where I just end up getting food at a place that I’ve always wondered about but never had a reason to enter. Da Vinci Pizza is one of those places and based solely on its weathered exterior awning you know it’s either going to be a great NYC slice or a lunch you’ll later regret. After walking in on a hot and humid day, I was faced with a huge selection of slices, no line, and a trio of men waiting for me to make up my damn mind about what I wanted. After spotting a tasty looking square pie in the corner I decided an upside down slice was going to be lunch.

This slice ($2.75) was massive – nearly as wide and long as the paper plate it was sitting on. The other good parts were the tomato sauce, although I could have done with less dried oregano, and I also appreciated the thin layer of cheese underneath because it definitely wasn’t the top-notch quality you find at some slice shops these days. The outer crust was nicely crisped and ever so slightly buttery, although the bottom part was a little soggy by the time I got to eat it. Still, I ate the whole slice so it couldn’t have been that bad. There are better square slices out there – Majestic Pizza still has my heart in that regard for its grandma pie, but if you work nearby this is a good option. There’s also Pranzo up Water St., which I’ve also never been to but heard good things about.

Does anyone have anything else to recommend at Da Vinci?

Da Vinci Pizza, 44 Water St. (btw. Coenties Slip & Hanover Sq.), (212) 635-2424